Courage and Power
by the Sly Eagle
Summary: Link is now an adult, and is finding things aren't as simple as they used to be. What new adventures await him in a world that he thinks he's seen all of?
1. 18, and I got nothin' to do

Hello...I'm kinda new to this section. If you don't know me, great! Nice to meet you! Don't tell the FFIX people I'm here!  
If you do know me....I'll be getting that chapter up soon! I promise! No lynching! Keep off the grass!  
Anyhow, about this story.It's mostly based on OoT, although I'm gonna try to shove the other games in there somehow. Roughly at best, considering the complete lack of canon continuancy issues, but hey. I hope you enjoy it anyway.  
  
DISCLAIMER: I own exactly 0 of the characters portrayed here and place names cited. If that changes, trust me, I'll let you know. All original content herein is copyrighted to the authoress.  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
At one time, I believed that if a Kokiri left the forest, he would grow up. But, no matter how hard you believe something, this will not make it true. The truth is Kokiri never grow up. The truth is I am not a Kokiri. That is why I had to leave the forest, and seek my destiny among the Hylians, the people like me. That is why I grew up.  
Growing up is an ongoing process, beginning when one first discovers himself as a child. After he discovers himself, he discovers the world around him. Discovering the world changes him, shaping and molding his body and mind into a, supposedly, greater being. The child one discovers and the adult he becomes are not the same person. That's what growing up does. These seven or so years, I've grown up in many ways, natural and unnatural. Hell, I've even grown up twice.  
I remember the child I was. I was a child of action. I believed that I could do anything; that I could make the world a better place if I only tried. I am now a man of action. I basically believe the same thing; winning every battle I've begun seems to have proven my beliefs correct. However, I am not a man of action for the same reasons that I was a child of action. As a child, I thought I could do anything. As an adult, I find there are things I cannot do so well. I therefore do not step far outside of my comfortable habits of going as I please, deciding right from wrong as I will, and answering aggression with superior aggression.  
The other difference is I find I'm prone to reminiscing. Take this bread in my hand. It's stale and moldy; worth far, far less than I just paid for it. I really should take the tavern owner to task for selling it to me. I could get very sick from the spore growth on it; in fact some molds are outright deadly. Ah, hell.  
I bit into my bread, and took a glance about the room as I chewed on the less than savory substance. I seemed to be getting less than savory looks to go with it, and I was pretty sure it wasn't because the other patrons knew that my bread was moldy.  
No, that would be because I'm what they'd call a ranger: a wanderer who knows the secrets of the far lands and lives by the sword, and often can be employed for disreputable jobs. To be sure, if I were to identify myself as "Link" some of them may heighten their opinion, and a few might even respect me, but most would continue to think what they do. Even mercenaries can do good things when paid by the right people.  
And even I have ceased to identify myself as a hero. Rather, I consider myself a professional dungeon crawler, for that is how I earn my bread and bed. True heroism does not bring much profit, not to devalue any of the rewards people have given me to show their gratitude. For my own sake, as well as every one else's, I prefer to keep any extreme acts against injustice I make to come from my desire to help people and not from any desire for money.  
Alas, few understand this. I was even asked by someone if I considered myself generous for rescuing the princess for a lesser amount than the ransom; if I really thought that was a service to my king and country. I told him I hadn't gotten a reward, but he didn't believe me.  
Indeed, heroism is a child's world. When I was a child, my deeds were widely accepted, for no one will question the innocent pure-heartedness of a child. But now I am old enough to have the hidden motives of an adult, and my deeds are now only accepted by children. Perhaps this is an injustice even I cannot rectify. Or perhaps heroism belongs in the world of children. I'm not saying that heroism is pointless once you reach a certain age—quite the contrary, for the Gorons still consider me their brother for what I did for them—I'm just saying that there is very little room for it in adult society.  
Now that I'm thinking of it, where are heroes placed in society anyway? I mean aside from the ones that are dead. Ah, yes. The shining knight in the shining castle. The only time he's seen is when he proudly rides his shining horse through the crowded streets in his shining armor, waving and throwing shining rupees. I'm not certain who'd freak more from all that armor, Epona or myself? But seriously, adults create their heroes, and adults choose to buy into it, whether or not heroism was involved. At times I wonder, am I not handsome enough for people to buy into my own gallant goodness? But then I remember, I'm missing some other key ingredients, such as noble birth, and I suppose some chivalry wouldn't hurt, and my failure to join the Royal Guard seems to have destroyed my reputation.  
So it goes. It wouldn't bother me much at all if little kids would stop asking me when I was going to marry Princess Zelda.  
In fact, it would've bothered me much, much less if Impa hadn't sat down right across from me just as I was thinking that.  
"I've been looking everywhere for you," said she.  
"Hi?" I said, trying not to let my mind race. Had Zelda been kidnapped again? Had Ganon found himself a new host already? Or someone else entirely? How much time did I have before all hell broke loose, and what ancient artifacts would I need to collect to prevent that?  
"Why have you made yourself so difficult to track down?" she continued. Well, she seemed to be trying to be conversational, and not in much of a rush, so I supposed this was a good thing. I suppose I am rather hard to find, since for these past two years I've lived in and out of inns and have maybe visited my house once. It's an expensive lifestyle, but fortunes aren't hard to come by if you know where to look and you don't scare, um, ever.  
"I just don't belong in those woods any more," I replied, examining the lichen-colored spots on my bread. They kind of reminded me of my old home, except for the stale smell. "I don't really belong anywhere. Hence, the wanderer's gig."  
"I see," she nodded, looking quite content to just sit there. I guessed the world wasn't about to end anytime soon and picked at my finger for a spell. She still seemed happy to be sitting.  
"Uh, did you want anything?" I asked, wondering if she had really been looking for me very long at all.  
"Oh, no, I'll pay for myself," she shook her head politely, and then called for the waiter. That really wasn't what I had meant, but okay. I hadn't especially wanted to treat her. I waited until she was done ordering to try again.  
"So…why were you looking for me?"  
"I need to relay a message from Princess Zelda."  
"She has a message for me?" I prodded, wondering why Impa was taking her sweet, sweet time.  
"Yes, you see, she wishes to speak with you. I've come to ask you to come to the castle. You see, she would have come herself, and saved you a trip, but she can't very well leave the castle." That was almost disappointing, except for that key part: Zelda wanted to talk to me. Out of the blue.  
"Did she say why?" I asked more, trying hard not to lean too far forward in my seat.  
"No, not exactly. I believe it has something to do with some dreams she's been having." Ah, yes, dreams! Her prophetic ones… Not like my silly little daydreams. Well, that's what I get for letting my hopes soar too high. Okay, that's what I get for hoping.  
"So, it's not urgent?"  
"Well, she sent me," Impa looked rather offended. Great.  
"I mean, a giant dragon isn't going to smash into the castle and send the surrounding area into an impenetrable blaze in a couple of hours, so I can sleep tonight in the bed I've already paid for?"  
"Oh, quite," she nodded then thanked the waiter for the food he brought out. She was eating much better than me. Maybe I should look into that tomb in the cliff-face I was overhearing about yesterday. Impa continued talking: "Although Zelda is very anxious to see you, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't take too long." Don't word it that way, Impa…please?  
"Okay," is what I said. She seemed rather intrigued with eating now, and didn't want to talk to me. I'd think she didn't like me, or something, but I know it's just her way. Besides, I doubt I'm much to talk to.  
I rested my chin in my right hand and stared down at the back of my left for a while. Underneath the glove, there was the symbol of the Triforce etched into my hand, a mark I had acquired when the Triforce of Courage merged with me seven years ago. I hadn't noticed when it happened, and I really don't see what it did for me, unlike how the Triforce of Power had given Ganondorf incredible power and the Triforce of Wisdom had given Zelda incredible wisdom.  
Zelda… It would be a great and copious task to count all the girls I've saved in my relatively short, though bizarre, lifetime. At least for someone like me, who's not geared towards numbers. Well, actually let me think…okay, somewhere in the 50s? 60s? Anyway, I'm stalling. The point is none of them have affected me quite like Zelda has. Which, ashamedly, is because I haven't affected her quite like I've affected the other ones. My helping the other ones has always meant the world to them. Now, Zelda has been involved in the majority of my rescue missions; the girl tends to get in trouble toting around something as powerful as the Triforce of Wisdom. Every time I rescued her, I felt like she was well on her way to getting the upper hand in the situation, and I was just a lucky break to get it under control quickly. Sometimes I get lucky and I'm a key part of her plans. But it sucks. I like her—I even like her a lot—for her resourcefulness and elegant cool-headedness. And that sharp, sharp tongue. Ack, I think I'm bleeding from just thinking about it! Oh wait, it's just ketchup. Now how did _that_ get on my sleeve?  
"I normally wipe a table down before I sit at it for that reason," said Impa. I looked up to see her handing me a handkerchief.  
"Sounds like more trouble than it's worth," I replied, taking it from her and wiping my elbow.  
"You can prevent things like this from happening if you do," she looked at me like I was some sort of moron. I looked around on the table. Yep, there was a smear of ketchup towards the outer edge of the table. I made a mental note to avoid it and tossed the handkerchief back to Impa.  
"As I said, more trouble than it's worth."  
"You won't even call the waiter to wipe it up?" she looked at me in disbelief.  
"Should I?" I asked, dropping my head back into my hand and trying to make myself believe that Impa was actually arguing with me over some spilt ketchup. Her hand twitched, and then she attacked the poor little smear with a deadly fury. I think the table was injured as well from the furious wiping.  
"I can't believe how lazy you are," she muttered as she did this. "I'd think you'd take a few cautionary steps at least to avoid washing your clothes."  
"Too…much…forethought…Mind pressure high above normal! Hit the deck!" Of course, she may have had a point. I had barely even put any effort into making fun of her. She glared at me, using one of those weird gazes that seem to see straight through you. I knew exactly what she was thinking: _How did this guy manage to save the world? He's pathetic!_ "I've had a long day," I explained. "Plus I've got a long trip ahead of me. There's gonna be a lot more stuff to wash out when I get to Hyrule Castle."  
"Ketchup stains don't come out easily," she started to finish her food. Maybe she was mad because I wasn't intimidated by her. Heh. I closed my eyes and chilled a bit. I had no desire to talk about ketchup stains with anyone, much less one who picked on me about it. But she continued once she had swallowed: "I suppose you were even too lazy to exchange your bread." Now that's creepy.  
"What of it?" I said, trying to sound disinterested rather than alarmed. Fruitlessly, probably. She was a Sheikah after all, and Zelda's personal servant and bodyguard at that, so there was probably nothing I could hide from her.  
"Good grief." She was probably shaking her head, but I didn't bother to open my eyes to see. Huh, maybe I should take some initiative and go upstairs to bed. That would throw her down a bit, you know? So I decided to turn in, even though it wasn't all that late. It was better than sitting there and listening to The Great Impa.  
"You staying here tonight?" I asked conversationally as I started gathering my gear.  
"No, are you?" she raised an eyebrow at me.  
"I already said I was—"  
"I thought I might've changed your mind."  
"…I figured I'd turn in early and get a good start tomorrow." Bitch. Actually, if I get up at the crack of dawn—yeech—I could raid that tomb for funds with little hassle. It probably won't be much, but traveling requires rupees, and I'm low on them.  
"I'll see you in a week or so, then," she said getting up. There is no getting past that woman. "Take care. Of your clothes." She left the building. Maybe she thought she was being funny. Whatever; now she was gone, so I could go crash in peace. I made my way up the stairs to do so.  
The room was absolutely crappy. The bed was on the opposite wall from the door—a good five feet away—and maybe had a foot between its foot and the wall. There was a rather broken rocking chair in the empty corner farthest from the door, which had what looked like the remnants of wallpaper behind it. The ceiling had a sharp-angled slope to it, which started just below where the top of the mattress was and ended up maybe four inches above the top of the door. No window. At least they had left the lantern on the wall on so I could at least see how bad it was. How thoughtful.  
I sighed and began setting my equipment against the wall, hiding the more dangerous stuff under the very broken chair. One of its rockers was actually missing, now that I got a better view of it. I stepped out of my boots and slid them against the wall as well. I stripped down to my underwear and threw my ketchup-stained clothing on the chair. It kinda looked like it belonged there. I blew out the lantern and slid under the covers. I've slept in many beds, which should make me something of a bed expert, so take my word for it when I say this one was no good. I guess I could have dealt with the itchy blankets if I hadn't also been trying to deal with those four particular springs that were trying to implant themselves into my back. The pillow wasn't quite heaven either, and I didn't want to try to place what it smelled like. The smell was bad enough without my knowing where it came from. Better than the floor? …Yep. I'd have to get dressed again if I was going to try to sleep on that floor. Besides, don't termites bite?  
Misery comes and goes, and goes more quickly if you stop thinking about it. That's the nice thing about thinking: you can change any situation you're in by A) thinking it out, B) thinking around it, or C) not thinking about it. Although my back was still gonna be sore in the morning. But I wasn't thinking about that. I was thinking about Zelda. She wanted to see me.  
I know I should've stopped meditating on that thought already, but it's awfully hard to do so when I'm trying to sleep and I'm not tired. However, lying in the darkness long enough is always going to get me to sleep soon enough. I've yet to experience the exception.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
A\N:  
Yeah...Link is open to some interpretation, if you ask me. He's a lot of fun to write this way...  
Anyhow, let me know what you think.  
  



	2. Where have all the cowboys gone?

Thanks to the few of you who waited patiently. (2=couple, 3=few, right?) Here's the next chapter!  
~Enjoy  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was nice to have rupees in my pocket again. The tomb wasn't bad—you didn't have to be a genius to get in. I mostly scrounged around for chump change and came up with 200 rupees or so. I didn't bother to go after the real treasure; spending a day facing down ghosts just didn't seem like the best start to a long journey. No, I was looking for a nice, paced travel, especially since we were going back to Hyrule. It'd been a long, long time since I had been "home." I'd need all the time I could to collect myself for my return there. Even more, since the Princess wanted to speak to me personally.  
Epona did not feel the same way. She's a smart little one; she knew exactly where we were off to, and she couldn't wait to get there. She took the bit in her teeth and yanked hard at my grip.  
"Steady, you old hen," I muttered, drawing a disagreeable snort from her. "I'd prefer not to be totally exhausted when we pull into town." She sidestepped, and when I didn't relent my grip on the reigns, she pulled a full circle. She wouldn't mind galloping day and night until we reached our destination, but I wasn't too keen on that. "Chill…" I hissed at her, only causing her to whinny and toss her head. Epona doesn't usually fight with me—I rarely even use the bridle I finally trained her to wear because I got sick of people questioning me about not having one—but when she does fight me, I never win. That's the way it is with girls, regardless of species, I suppose. "Fine," I sighed. "We'll run for the day, but we will stop for the night, understand?"  
Of course she did. She flipped her mane once and quickened her pace with a satisfied nicker. I guess if she were happier galloping, I was happier with her galloping. It would make me actively ride her, and then I'd be tired when we reached the inn and I'd sleep without that obnoxious and unnecessary mind racing that keeps me up late. Either the mare knows what's best for me, or I'm just really good at making the most out of my situations.  
I'd think the former, actually. Since I met Epona when we were both knee-high to a grasshopper, we'd grown increasingly fond of each other. Once I'd returned to my so-called "normal" life after my ordeal as the Hero of Time, I took every opportunity I had to visit her at LonLon Ranch. This was because I'd remembered my past—er future that never happened…uh, anyway, I remembered how much I enjoyed traveling with this horse. I mean how many horses out there are both incredibly fast, full of fight and stamina, and witty to boot? Every time I arrived, she would run to the fence and greet me. Later, when she grew old enough, since she was too spirited for Malon and her father Talon to handle, they let me try my hand at breaking her in, which I somehow managed. I suppose this explains why Epona is so poorly trained. In any event, I was very soon the only one who could ride her, so Malon decided to give her to me, despite Talon's and particularly Ingo's loud and impressive protesting about how Epona was a very valuable horse and had the best in breeding on their entire ranch and so on and so forth. I had offered to pay, but Malon would have none of it. So I took my horse and went far away on many great adventures and endeavors and never really came back to LonLon. This really pissed Malon off, since she had been assuming that when I was always coming to visit Epona, I was secretly using the horse as an excuse to see her.  
Yes, this is what growing up is all about. Trying to understand the opposite sex. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with taking people at face value, but it would seem everyone has hidden motives. I guess I must too, although I'm not quite certain what they are.  
Long story short, Epona and I traveled at our compromised ride hard for the day, sleep hard for the night pace, and reached the outskirts of the Gerudo's Desert—or Haunted Wasteland—in five days. This place slowed us down significantly, for first of all, I had to get off of Epona and lead her against the harsh, sand-laden winds, and second we had to wait a couple hours past nightfall for the Gerudo to let us through.  
"Would you just let me speak to Nabooru?" I called as loud as I could over the wind.  
"She's not here, young man, we've explained this!"  
"Look, she let me out, so she'd let me in!" I called back. "I'm a Hylian, see? I need to get back to my homeland!"  
"Maybe she'll let you in when she returns, then!" they replied.  
"You can't leave me out here all night!"  
"Watch us!" they laughed. Epona stamped her foot impatiently, giving me an idea.  
"Hey! Put up a few targets! I'll ride by and shoot at them; if I make them will you let me pass?" They seemed to like that idea and called out their agreement and disappeared from sight for a moment. I mounted Epona and readied my bow, knowing that this would be difficult, what with the cross winds, but mounted archery was nothing new to the two of us. The moment I pulled out my bow, she steadied herself. For a moment, I wondered if I should use the special ability of the Gerudos—the Ice Arrow, which I would have learned couple of months before if the future had turned out differently—but then I decided that I didn't need more suspicion from them than I already had. Eventually, three targets appeared   
"Alright, go!" they called. Archery is second nature to me, so it didn't surprise me as much as it did them that I got all three targets, despite the strong winds. I think I even bulls eyed the first one. And so they opened the gate, as promised, and escorted me to the bridge out of their territory. I thanked them, dryly perhaps, and rode out into the field of Hyrule with a dark feeling settling over me. You see, I had been planning to spend the night in the city of Hyrule before going to see the Princess in the morning, but now it was very late, and they were sure to have raised the drawbridge to the city gates by now. Which meant the only place left to stay was LonLon Ranch. Lovely.  
Either Epona didn't sense my discomfort, or she was delightedly ignoring it, probably the latter, knowing her. She lifted her feet in a merry canter up the hill towards the ranch.  
"You look silly," I told her, but that didn't seem to bother her much. She slowed only to make the turn into the outer gates of the ranch and then finally came to at the gates to the pasture, which were closed up. The horses were probably stabled already. "Enjoying the scenery, eh?" I asked as I hopped off, landing with an orchestral clank of the many metal materials I had strapped away on my back. "Feel free to let the nostalgia sink in." However, she tossed her head and followed me back to the farmhouse door. I knew that Ingo would have turned in by now, being the early riser that he was, and with any luck, Malon would have as well. Talon would be awake, as he stays up doing who knows what and sleeps a good portion of the day. I turned my hand over and wrapped the door with the back of it. I smiled to myself when I noticed that I did this. The Kokiri knock like this to show respect to the tree from whence the wood came. Making a fist at something is violent, you know?  
I heard rustling from within and footsteps coming toward the door, light and brisk footsteps. Not the heavy ambling ones of Talon, if you catch my drift. So I wasn't at all surprised when the door opened to leave me face to face with the short redhead, giving me an advantage over her.  
"Oh…the Fairy Boy," she blinked back her astonishment. I'm used to the nickname now, although I don't like it. But I kinda lead her on, I guess, so I should be happy she's not calling me worse.  
"Sorry to show up with no notice," I scratched the back of my head. "I'm on my way to the castle town, but it got a little late…I was hoping I might stay here the night, if it's not a bother."  
"Oh!" she snapped into an energetic smile. "It's no bother at all! You're always welcome here!" She bolted past me to start coddling my horse. Don't you love it when people lie through their teeth? "Hi, there, Epona! How're you? Eating well? Fairy Boy, I'm going to clean her up and put her in with the others. Go on ahead inside!" That's Malon, for you. I nodded to her as she led my very, very happy mare to the stables full of yummy munchies. Well, at least she isn't jealous of the horse. I knocked my boots against the doorstep to get the dust off of them and then let myself into the house, closing the door behind me. I made my way down the front hall to the main room. Pipe smoke greeted me as I went, and when I entered I saw Talon lounging in a chair with his feet propped up reading something. He glanced up at me and took the pipe out of his mouth.  
"Staying the night?" he stuck the pipe back in his mouth before I even answered.  
"Yeah."  
"Malon saw to yer animal first, I see. Well, sit down, while yer waitin'." And that's Talon for you. I thankfully removed my shield, sheath, and quiver, as well as all the things attached and took a seat in an overstuffed chair across from him. My rear had been less than happy from the constant stress it had been subjected to over the last few days in that old saddle and welcomed the change readily. My back too, was happy for a little comfortable support. I guess my sigh of relief was a little over done.  
"Now, don't look too happy," Talon chuckled, "or she'll be sure to move you once she gets back."  
"Thanks for the warning," I smiled back.  
"That's what I don't miss about my old missus," he nodded and turned the page. "Always after me to get up and do this, or that, or the other."  
"You sure you don't need a new missus?" I asked, grinning.  
"I've got Malon," he chuckled again and then looked meaningfully up at me. "Or are you planning on taking her away?"  
"Not at all," I met his gaze. "I'm just on my way to Hyrule Castle and I missed the gate, that's all."  
"I always figured as much," he looked back down at the papers in his lap. "Ingo an' me still wonder sometimes how we can our money's worth out of that mare." I could practically feel my hackles rise as I jolted straight out of the chair.  
"Look, I offered to…" I bit myself back as I remembered the mere 40 rupees I had left for food and board in the castle town. Epona was easily worth 600, and probably closer to 1,000. I looked away and slumped into the chair. He didn't have the right to bring this up, but with that much money on the line, who could blame him?  
"Calm down, son," he chuckled again. "I can see you're as poor as dirt. Taking a vagabond's horse is lower than taking a beggar's bowl."  
"Is it, then?" I muttered and dropped my chin into my hand. He has a point. People are more likely to take pity on the town beggar than on some stranger.  
"It was a fair trade," he continued but then puffed at his pipe a bit.  
"Huh?"  
"A horse for my daughter's heart," he explained. "She's gotten better since you've been gone." I stared at him awhile, feeling very misplaced. When I had felt reluctant to return to LonLon Ranch it was because I knew there'd be tension between Malon and myself. I had no idea that there'd be tension between Talon and myself. "'Sides," he continued, "you wanted the horse."  
"Look," I began to stand up, readying myself for a night under the stars where I had little chance of sleeping undisturbed. "I didn't come here to cause trouble."  
"You came here honestly enough," he waved at me to sit down. "I'm glad. You're not the settling type, and that's not good for my little girl, that's all. I just wanted to make sure. You're more than welcome to stay the night."  
"Thank you," I relaxed again and breathed a sigh of relief. I looked back at Talon as he chuckled again.  
"Bloody shame, though," he smirked as he stared into the distance, probably at a past memory.  
"You're a good man," I smiled at him, drawing his attention back to the present, "and a better father. I hope Malon realizes."  
"She doesn't," he laughed and then nervously went back to his pipe and reading. She doesn't, huh? Ruto is that way too, the Zora girl who tried to get herself engaged to me because she didn't like her father's choice in suitors. She hated the way he was always trying to do what he thought was best for her. I despise Ruto for that. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, and it's true that there are bad parents, but I never had any parents, good or bad. I despise people who can't appreciate having parents that care about them.  
"Fairy Boy, what is it you've done to Epona?" Malon asked as she came into the room. "She seems as if she's run for days, but isn't the least bit tired!"  
"She's happy to be back in Hyrule," I replied. "The wide world gets lonely after a while." I realized how that sounded after I said it, but decided to stay calm and not act as if I'd said anything out of the ordinary. Luck was not with me, however, for you'd have to be blind not to notice how bright Malon's eyes got once the words left my mouth.  
"Oh?" she started, but I turned to Talon.  
"As nice as it was to talk to you Talon, I'd better turn in," I said, standing up and stretching. "Zelda sent me an urgent message, so I need to get to the castle as soon as possible."  
"Won't you eat first?" Malon jumped in again. My stomach growled noisily at the mere mention of food before my mouth got the chance to protest.  
"Maybe a little something…"  
"Fried eggs and milk? And maybe some toast?" she grabbed my arm and dragged me to the kitchen. "I can see if we have some stew left over…"  
"Just bread, thanks," I pulled my arm away and leaned against the doorway. "I'm really tired." She glanced at me, her expression falling. She then sighed and pulled a lunk of bread out of a bin and handed it to me.  
"You know where the guest bedroom is?" she asked softly.  
"Yeah," I nodded, pretending to ignore her dropping tone. "Maybe I'll try something better than just bread before I leave tomorrow." I smiled lightly at her as she looked up. "Good-night."  
"What makes you think I'd waste the effort on you?" she whispered behind me as I left the kitchen for the upstairs. I pretended not to hear. I wolfed the bread down as I deposited my stuff on the chair in the guest room, my tongue completely bemoaning the fact that I had turned down fresh eggs. I did my best to let my mind go blank as I undressed. This free room and board definitely came with a price. Although it was stuffed with old hay, the most welcoming thing at LonLon Ranch was the bed. I hid myself in it, trying to focus on getting a good night's rest for tomorrow, but I felt rather…empty, I guess. A while past, I had outgrown the forest, and now I had just outgrown the ranch.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
It seems to be going nowhere fast, but don't worry! I've got plans for it.  
tonikaku... minna, kore-o dou omoi ka?   



	3. Waiting for You

I have a pleasant surprise for you! That's right! It should make you happy! As it happens from time to time, my chapter plotting went a little screwy on my. As a result, this chapter is **twice as long** as my normal chapters!  
~Enjoy the extra lengthy goodness!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
My body, rested from a full night's sleep, clean from a warm bath, and stuffed with good food for once, was in better spirits than I was as it rode slowly out of the ranch. Perhaps this is why I felt detached from it. Everything, the smell of fresh hay and cow pies, the chattering of cuccos intermixed with the songs of less obnoxious birds, and even the lazy plodding of Epona's hooves beneath me, seemed to be an echo or two behind me. It was as if the ranch had become a distant memory before I had even wandered away from it.  
Epona's pace remained unchanged when we finally broke onto the open fields of Hyrule, when I suddenly became one with my body again. This was odd for her, for, to her, space to run meant running. She flicked an ear back at me and then tossed her head. I could practically hear her thoughts in a scolding voice, saying, "What did you do?" She would have known something was up, for although she hadn't been able to witness that Malon hadn't so much as made eye contact with me during breakfast, she would have noticed that the girl hadn't come out to see us off as she customarily did. I patted Epona's neck, probably comforting myself more effectively than comforting her.  
"Everyone deals with a shattered dream differently," I told her, "and some people never forgive. Even if it was all a misunderstanding that was almost entirely their own fault anyway." Epona flicked her ear at me again. Yes, she has a point. I suppose I shouldn't be talking about Malon still wishing wishful things about me when I'm on my way to see the Princess with my own wishful thinking running rampant in the back of my mind where I'm not paying much attention. But unlike Malon, all my wishful thinking is generally set aside by that good dose of reality, whatever that is, that follows me around in a dark cloud over my head. Even without it, I wouldn't go around saying things like "My prince will save me!" And that is for less than obvious reasons. Heh, my train of thought seems to have gotten interesting. But honestly, I suddenly had felt better about the whole deal the moment I was out of the ranch walls. I wouldn't mind never going back there if it were just those walls I'd be missing. They're unnatural, really. LonLon Ranch is nothing more than open field in which the wind doesn't blow. So maybe, now there was really nothing there for me. Or maybe it's my way of making myself feel better about losing some of this wide open world that I've made my free range.  
But it was hard to feel good about anything with Epona trudging along like a clipper ship with no sails. She understood what had happened, and in turn I understood how she, uh, felt…I suppose. Both of us now had lost access to our childhood homes. Well, not her so much, but Epona has chosen me, and when an animal chooses someone, it's normally for life. I wondered if Epona was so out of sorts because she realized that she had had to pick between the ranch and me.  
"Home is a funny thing isn't it? Never really is what you thought it was." I spoke to her again. This time she stopped walking. I was a little startled by this, but I remained seated. I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized that she had stopped because a wagon was rolling out of the gates we were trying to enter. The breath caught back up in my throat when I realized that we were right outside of the castle town and then released in another sigh when I decided that I was being silly. There was nothing to get worked up about. Zelda probably had some inane favor to ask of me. Although there were dreams involved… I couldn't decide whether I should be nervous or not, so I decided to concentrate on my poor horse. She had started walking again into the city. Her head had perked up elatedly at the onslaught of new smells, sounds, and sights. I was glad, and I found myself smiling as well. To myself, in that mysterious sort of way, of course. People knew me here, relatively speaking. Ah yes, I'd gotten two stares now, both of the is-that-who-I-think-it-is variety. There's number three now. And four… I was probably hard to miss. Not many people ride through the market place, and the ones who do are either famous nobles or total strangers. I fell out of both categories sitting upon my red mare in my green Deku-fiber tunic and matching cap with an old Hylian shield strapped to my back.  
I'd been thinking of getting a room and stabling Epona before I went, but it seemed safer to just go straight to the castle. I had accrued quite a few tails and a bit of excited gossiping by the time I had reached the city square. There had also been a pointed wondering of "Is the princess in trouble?" that I'm not quite certain was not addressed to me. Either way, I ignored it, because I hadn't a clue to the answer. The square quieted to half of its normal volume as I rode in, and then doubled as I rode through towards the path to the castle. Which was currently partially blocked. Epona snorted impatiently as I pulled at her to slow down as we rode towards the wide-eyed boy standing in the middle of the road. He was maybe thirteen or fourteen, complete with freckles and wispy hair. He wasn't moving either; he was just letting his eyes get wider. I physically ignored him save for directing my horse around him, but the eyes of my mind were rolling repeatedly. Oh, the repetition. It hadn't been this bad in Hyrule since the time I'd brought Zelda back in riding behind me sixteen months ago. Wait…I hadn't been here for about sixteen months. No, I was here ten months ago, albeit briefly. Anyway, there hadn't been this many gawkers then. I began to wonder if something was up, but then the boy called out to me as I passed him.  
"Aren't you Link?" he asked, then looked surprised at himself for saying it out loud. Or so I assumed.  
"That's my name," I replied turning my head towards him and slowing Epona down further, much to her chagrin. The look he gave me for responding was absolutely priceless. Some days, I live for looks like that. Seriously, when you're down there's absolutely nothing better than having some kid look at you like you're the best thing to happen to the world since the invention of bombchu bowling. Well, actually it might not be as good as having the Crown Princess of Hyrule look at you like you're the best thing to happen to this universe since the invention of Prince Charming. Unfortunately, I have no experience there, so I can't say for sure.  
"Y-you're going to the castle?" he asked the obvious again, although he looked rather anxious that he might be pushing his luck.  
"Yeah," I nodded reassuringly towards him as Epona and I continued on our way. I can be rather imposing, I know, so I try to be as friendly as possible. Just because I had been having a bad day and didn't want to talk to just anybody right now didn't mean I wanted everybody avoiding me in the future. Besides, talking to this kid was making me feel more at ease.  
"Why? Are you gonna slay some monsters?" the kid started running alongside my now moderately irritated mount.  
"I dunno…" I chuckled. "But if there are monsters, I'll probably be slaying some."  
"Even if it's a really big dragon?" another small voice came from behind me. I turned in my saddle to see a younger boy duck into a small gathering of children that were hanging back a few paces. They were all a little hesitant actually, especially since I was looking at them. I was feeling game, so I pulled Epona to a halt. She snorted in surrender.  
"How big?" I asked, raising one eyebrow. The boy, maybe seven years old, poked his head out from behind an older girl who seemed to be his sister.  
"As big as a house!" he shouted then ducked again.  
"Whose house?" I asked, trying to look serious. The kid poked his head around again, but didn't seem to come up with an answer.  
"Lady Impa's house!" called out one little girl, who seemed pretty pleased with herself for knowing something about either Impa or her house. It happens to be the most expansive house in Kakariko Village, but that's not saying much.  
"No problem," I waved my hand in feigned dismissal. The kids gasped, and some giggled, then the little boy's sister suddenly called out:  
"What about Sir Holloway's house?" Sir Holloway? Never heard of him…  
"What about it?" I asked innocently.  
"What about a dragon that big!" the little boy shouted and then retreated again, although not all the way this time. I made a thoughtful look as my brain began to rush. Must be a noble man, and probably a famous, handsome one with female admirers, such as this one. He probably has a mansion the size of a small castle, like the ones I've seen in the hills behind Hyrule Castle. I've fought a monster or two about that big.  
"Don't worry, I can handle it," I winked. Again the squealing gasps and giggling. I smiled back at them. Ah, by Farore, wasn't I like that not so long ago? Well, not quite like these kids in my attitude, but I was that small. I wondered briefly if I had been particularly cute like some of these kids.  
"What if it was as big as the Temple of Time?" another boy spat out. The giant tower, higher than Hyrule Castle, appeared readily in my mind, as I was quite familiar with it. I highly doubt any creature that tall could survive under its own weight. But I'd humor them.  
"By myself?" I asked, looking as taken aback as I could fake it. "I dunno…"  
"I'd help!" the first kid called out. The idea surprised me a bit.  
"You would, huh?" I all but laughed.  
"I would too!" screamed out the kid who'd brought up the thought of a dragon that big.  
"I'd be too scared," the little one complained from behind his sister.  
"Don't worry," I smiled at him, again reassuringly. "There aren't any monsters that big. Believe me, I've looked."  
"Are you sure?" his sister asked.  
"Very sure," I nodded.  
"Link would know, right?" the first kid exclaimed and looked up at me. "Cause you've seen everything, right?"  
"Oh, I sure hope not," I laughed, scratching the back of my head. I spotted a couple of worried looking mothers hanging further back and nodded my greetings toward them, hoping they'd take the kids away so I could continue on my way. I was significantly settled into myself and ready to face whatever was ahead. "Anyway, I have someplace to be, so if you'd excuse me." Epona started moving before I even gave her the go ahead. The kids followed.  
"Are you going to see the Princess?" the first boy asked.  
"Yeah," I nodded, somewhat annoyed. I knew what was coming next. I could feel it in my bones.  
"When are you going to marry Princess Zelda?" the sister asked from behind. My teeth ground together. I don't normally do that; I find it hurts. Luckily, since I couldn't think of a response, the two moms I'd nodded to earlier rescued me.  
"Amy, Bruce," cried one. "Honestly, what have I told you about walking behind horses? It's dangerous! Get back here this instant!" Luckily, Epona only seems to understand Hylian when I'm the one speaking it, so she didn't get any funny ideas about kicking the kids to make their mother's point. The brother and sister pair hung their heads ashamedly and meandered back down the road with the token, "yes, ma." The other boy had also been called off by his mother, and the few remaining dissipated on their own, leaving only the first one. He looked very much like he knew he should leave, but didn't want to.  
"Um…well…good bye, Link." I slowed my horse back to a stop and turned to him.  
"Your name, kid?" I asked, even though he didn't really strike me as special in any way. I've just kinda always wanted to do that.  
"Will… Will Sterling!" he blurted excitedly.  
"I'll see you around, then, Will," I replied and nudged my very thankful mount onward. We approached the gate with the sun starting to reach its zenith. My guess was shortly after ten, and as I wanted to see how accurate my internal clock was, the first thing I asked the guard was the time.  
"Uh, nearly fifteen after ten," he replied after a few seconds. He had obviously been expecting something else from me.  
"Is it, then," I nodded, much pleased with myself. "Well, then, I'm Link, and I've been instructed to meet with Princess Zelda." The two guards at the gate looked confused at each other for a spell, while I patiently sat there on an impatient horse. Actually, her mood was beginning to leak back into mine, making me a little edgy as well. I really wished they'd hurry up. I'd only been riding for a week straight to get here.  
"Oh yeah!" suddenly one exclaimed. "I remember…she said something about it…a month ago."  
"Oh yeah!" the other agreed then said to me: "Aren't you a bit late?"  
"No," I replied testily, "but it looks like I'm going to be."  
"Ah, I'm sorry," he bowed an apology. "But we do not remember the details… Well, for starters, can you prove you're Link?"  
"Can I prove it?" I repeated, thoroughly taken aback.  
"Well, yeah," the other agreed. "We can't just let anyone dressed in green and claiming to be Link through the gates, now can we?" Gain entrance to the castle disguised as Link? The thought had never occurred to me. Then again, I was Link, so I wouldn't be pretending to be him…me…gah.  
"Has this happened before?" I asked, not certain if I wanted to know the answer. Of course, if someone had managed to pass himself off as me, I was ready and willing to prove by the edge of my sword that he was indeed NOT me.  
"Yes, a couple of times I believe," he nodded. "Both were merely simpletons who wished to gain access to the castle for silly reasons."  
"What's so silly about wanting to lay one's eyes on Princess Zelda?" the other guard looked a little offended. I bristled a bit, completely offended by his remark.  
"Look, why don't I just sneak into the castle the old fashioned way, and that'll prove that I am myself?" I asked, wondering if it's the act of guarding that removes intelligence from guards.  
"What?!" they both shouted in unison, readying their spears. Well, at least they were paying attention.  
"Where's Impa?" I rolled my eyes.  
"Impa…?" the first repeated then looked at the other, whose eyes also lit up.  
"That's right! Impa wanted to be informed when Link arrived!"  
"Yeah, she'd know if this is the real one!"  
"Hey!" the smarter guard called out through the gate. "You there! Go tell Lady Impa that Link is at the gate!"  
"Good show," I muttered as I watched the inner guard salute and run off towards the castle. Honestly, this was getting very irritating. And Epona was just mad. She stomped one hoof after another, making the guards flinch and watch her warily. She seemed to enjoy this, so I didn't say anything to her. Instead, I focused myself in taking a few deep breaths and enjoying the garnishes of what was shaping up to be a beautiful day. The guards continued to stand there alternating between making sure I wasn't doing anything funny and eyeing Epona warily.  
"So you made it," Impa remarked as she strode down to the gate. "And you're even clean."  
"Before your world crumbles down around you, let me assure you that someone else washed my clothes for me," I said. Malon had seen to the cleaning of my clothes at dawn, probably only at the insistence of her father or Ingo, but hey, they were clean. I had gotten to bathe and had even brushed my hair out. Hey, I hadn't seen Zelda in nearly a year, and that last time hardly counted.  
"Come stable your horse and wait for me in the main hall," she said this while opening the gate. "I'll go inform the Princess that you're here."  
"Ah!" exclaimed one of the guards, and then he prodded the other. "That's what the real Link looks like!"  
"You'd best remember it," I shot over my shoulder hotly. Epona happily picked her feet up into what was practically a prance as we followed Impa up the path to the actual outer walls of the castle.  
"You should sit up a bit and try to look more splendid, like your animal," Impa smirked at me.  
"Who would I be fooling?" I replied.  
"Good point," she nodded. I frowned and pulled my back up out of my usual lax in the saddle and raised my chin. I felt very overdone, since my posture isn't bad, it's just casual.  
"Oh, good grief, never mind," she slapped a hand over her eyes. "I just imagined you in shining armor with a knight's crest and billowing cape…" The image didn't sit well with me either, but I did enjoy seeing Impa shudder. I relaxed again as we stopped and waited for the drawbridge to the courtyard to drop.  
"You know where the stables are?" she asked.  
"To the right when you just enter," I nodded.  
"And the main hall?"  
"Dead ahead."  
"Good," she nodded her approval. "I'll see you in a few minutes." She then proceeded with the trademark Shiekah exit. Although the guards started as if she had just disappeared, I managed to trace her movement with my eyes. She leapt onto the lip of the slowly lowering drawbridge and from there up over the ramparts. I smiled appreciatively. Impa has inspired the greater part of my jumping technique, although I can never hope to jump as fast and gracefully as she does. I think I'm closing in on the height, though.  
The drawbridge locked in place and I urged Epona across. I pulled again to a stop and dismounted once we were inside. I looked about me as the drawbridge drew up behind me. The front courtyard was littered with a spattering of guards and workers, and the air was saturated with the scent of horses and over-bred flora. I breathed a sigh; the place hadn't changed a bit. I hope that didn't mean anything bad. I led Epona over to the nearest stablehand.  
"Watch yourself," I warned. "She's in a foul mood."  
"I see, sir," he bowed as he took the reins. "And how long will you be staying, sir?" I was a little put out by his manner, but I guess he's paid to be overly polite, and how's he to know I don't care?  
"I dunno," I shrugged, "but go ahead and untack her."  
"Very good, sir." I got myself away from him as quickly as I could, save running. The problem with castle atmospheres is that they're so stifling; everyone is so very easily offended. I did my best to ignore it, and mistakenly almost opened the front door for myself. I nodded my thanks to the doorman, and wondered how much he made for that job as I started inside. I stopped halfway through the door. It's my policy to remain myself no matter where I am.  
"Say, how much do you make for standing around all day, opening and closing doors?" I asked him.  
"A-are you talking to me, sir?" he blinked, not looking sure if he could make eye contact with me.  
"Yeah," I took a step back and stood with one hand on my hip, the way I normally do when I'm just standing around. "I'm just curious."  
"Oh…I…ah," he looked about then looked at me. "Well, it's actually a specialist job. You must be well versed in etiquette, because some patrons will be very offended if you don't open the door at exactly the right moment."  
"Is that so?" I continued to stand there in front of the open door. "You have to stand and stare a particular way too, I take it?"  
"Yes, that is correct," he nodded once and reassumed his statue-like posture. "If you would please step aside if you are not going through." I glanced over my shoulder to see a middle-aged noble looking fellow making his way up the stairs and glaring at me disapprovingly. I don't know what his problem was: the doorway was a good twelve feet wide. Oh, but as he kept coming, he was coming straight at me, with that same glare. I rolled my eyes and stepped out of the way, not at all wanting to explain myself to this jerk. He sniffed and went through without a word.  
"So, how much do you make?" I continued my conversation with the doorman, letting the incident go as readily as it came.  
"Ah…30 rupees an hour with benefits," he sighed agitatedly. "Now, if you'd please go through the door, sir."  
"I'm sorry, I'm in the way," I nodded understandingly. "Thanks, though." I swear, everyone here must have a stick stuck in an uncomfortable place. I meandered into the main hall. It's very high, by the way. I stared at the ceiling for a while then turned my attention to the stained glass windows portraying various knights and heroes that had turned up at some point in Hyrule's history. The color choices were obnoxiously gaudy. I think I preferred the ceiling. Isn't loitering fun? After nearly twenty minutes, I felt a presence enter the room.  
"Follow me," Impa said from behind me and began walking down an adjacent hallway. With little choice other than to follow her, I followed her. The halls and stairways we traversed were obviously the ones not open to guests, if I'm any judge, and by now I should be. The dead giveaway was the servants scuttling back and forth, well out of sight of any person who would be offended by the sight of commoners. Hyrule seems to have gotten more stuck up over the years. Presently Impa opened a side door and ushered me into the room it led to. It was a pleasant little parlor that opened out onto a balcony overlooking one of the courtyard gardens. It must have been an extension of the private quarters of the Royal Family. The sun was nearly at its zenith now, in the bright blue sky. I could tell because the feathery curtains were in the constant state of being blown apart by warm breezes. The room itself was in fabulous appearance with something of a melon color motif going on. It was very clean too, all silk and polished stone. I realized with some embarrassment that I had failed to knock the dust from my boots before I came in. Ah, well, maybe I got it off walking down the rest of the halls.  
"Sit down and make yourself comfortable," Impa said, heading towards the other door. "It will be a while."  
"How long?" I asked in a falling tone. I'd almost been here two hours already.  
"She's in an audience," Impa turned back to me and leaned against the wall, as if she didn't especially want to go back to it. Finally, I'm more interesting than something.  
"With who?" I asked, taking off my assemblage of lethal and not quite as lethal objects and leaning them against the wall.  
"No one she comments about, so therefore no one of importance," Impa shrugged.  
"I take it you don't know?" I grinned.  
"I don't pay much attention to scavengers, no," she smiled.  
"You never know when they'll get seriously feisty," I replied and eased into one of the chairs. It wasn't as plush as the chair at the ranch, but it would do fine. More than fine.  
"Which must be why I'm required to attend it," her lip slid into a half-hearted sneer. "I'll see you in a while, Link. I most go and see that nothing tragic befalls our lovely princess."  
"If you see action, call for me," I responded while stretching my arms out in front of me. "Or I won't forgive you."  
"I wouldn't hold my breath," she turned to me with a raised eyebrow then left me. And so, yet again I was left to wait. Now you must see why, as I rule, I do not come here unless there is an emergency. But now that I was by myself in a room, I had something to do. I dozed. It must have been an hour and a half before I felt someone approaching and roused myself. The door opened as a maidservant pushed in a small cart with drinks on it. I sighed in irritation as she placed them on the main table and one on the small table beside me.  
"Her Royal Highness, Princess Zelda will be with you shortly," she bowed and then started away with the cart.  
"Hey," I turned about and probably broke every code in the entire damn protocol, judging by the look on the girl's face. Or maybe she just thought I was cute. "How long is 'shortly'?"  
"About half an hour, sir," she smiled in such a way as to make me thankful I'm not diabetic. She then wheeled her cart out the door. Half an hour? And they bring me iced tea? This far past lunchtime? I sighed, stood, and went through my packs. No good… All of my provisions were on Epona. I returned to my seat and downed the iced tea. It would hold me for a bit. Hopefully more than a bit, for I didn't particularly want my stomach growling in front of Zelda. I chilled for a while longer, trying not to grow impatient. It's odd; I'm normally one of the more patient kinds, but I was so nervous that the waiting was killing me. Why was I nervous? I really wanted to see Zelda. I always do. But I'm always nervous that I'll do something wrong.  
I was ready when the door opened again. The servant bowed and announced Her Royal Highness, and Zelda entered the room. Either I don't see her enough, or she actually does grow more beautiful between every time I see her. Either works for me. I seemed to have caught her on one of her better days, done up in a lavender dress that both hid and displayed the fine curves of her body. Her tiara was present, but most of her other trappings were not, leaving her looking a lot more feminine than usual, which is actually quite a feat. She held her hands in front of her, one folded over the other. I had stood the moment the door opened. Now that she had entered the room, I was down on one knee, my left arm crossed against my chest. I only ever take this posture for Zelda, as she is the only one I've devoted my allegiance to, and the only one I find worthy of it.  
"It's been a while, Princess," I said, glancing up from the floor. Her expression, which had been strictly business-like when she entered the room, softened significantly, almost to the point of tears.  
"At ease, Link…" she spoke, her voice still ringing out clear although she was speaking softly.  
"As you wish," I stood and smiled at her.  
"You've gotten taller again," she remarked through a smile of her own. Now that it was brought to my attention, I found that I had indeed gained a couple of inches on her yet once more since the last time we'd seen each other. I was almost a full head taller than she. Too bad it doesn't mean I've finally crept over that line of average height.  
"You haven't remained unchanged yourself," I replied.  
"No, I suppose not," she looked at me distantly, as if comparing my face to some other. I wondered how insightful I was being. Things are never quite what they seem around Zelda, and yet they are always just that.  
"So…" I rubbed at my nose. "Why'd you want to see me?"  
"Oh," she looked out the window, then back at Impa, whose entry I had completely failed to notice. She closed the door. Zelda turned back to me, her long golden hair elegantly trailing the movement of her head. "Would you have a seat?" I returned to the previous chair, and she took a seat across from me. For a while, she sat there staring off into nowhere with her hands folded beneath her chin. I noticed the subtle glow emanating from the back of her gloved right hand and wondered if her Triforce piece was glowing because mine was so close or because she was using it. She did look very thoughtful. I stole a glance at Impa. The loyal guardian was wearing a grim expression, which added to my suspicion that something was up. Something important.  
"I've been dreaming these past seven years," Zelda suddenly, yet gracefully, sat up and locked her eyes on mine. "I've been dreaming someone else's life through someone else's eyes. But they were my eyes. I've seen terrible things and horrible mishaps. I've seen blatant stupidity. My own." At this I was taken aback, and since she continued to stare at me without a word, I spoke up, barely daring to believe what I feeling led to:  
"Through Sheik's eyes…"  
"And then through my own," she nodded. "I saw what almost happened so closely that it did." I looked away for a moment, trying to let this sink in before I questioned the meaning behind it.  
"I thought…" I trailed off and returned my gaze to her eyes. They were gentle and understanding at the moment, which was strange for her. "I thought only Navi and myself remembered."  
"The Triforce also remembered," Zelda said. "And it told me. Link, I—"  
"Don't say anything," I cut in, almost harshly. Memories were trickling through my brain. I had never understood the whole thing. It hurt my head, so I never bothered to think about it. Zelda and I… we'd been so close after we completed the seal on Ganondorf. And she sent me away. The seven years I had slept, and then awoken…I thought they were mine. I didn't think they existed anymore, except in the back of my mind. I thought I had erased it. But now Zelda held those memories…what did that mean?  
"Maybe I don't understand the way you see it," she tried talking again.  
"Zelda," I looked back at her, trying not to loose my cool. "That was a long time ago for me."  
"You don't wonder any more?" Zelda stood and wandered over to the window. "I thought you would."  
"Why should I? It's all beyond my reach. You know what happened to the Ocarina of Time."  
"You're very right, Link," she looked back at me in surprise. For a moment I thought she was calling me a simpleton, but then I realized that I must have said something that reflected truth. "I finally know what happened to the Ocarina. It's sealed in the future, beyond our reach. But what worries me… is that the future can come back to the past."  
"So, you're saying several thousand years in the distant future, Ganondorf is going to break out, find that Ocarina, and come back to haunt us…tomorrow, maybe?"  
"That could happen, yes." I thought about it a second.  
"Okay," I shrugged. "He'll be trying to change his own past, but I'll just get that Ocarina from him and change his fu…wow, that got messy quickly."  
"The Ocarina of Time is not in our time at all," Zelda shook her head. "And it's not in our future either."  
"Then what are you worried…oh. Are you saying that the future I prevented is going on without me?"  
"What, time revolves around you?" she tried to hide her smile behind her hand. "Yes, of course it is."  
"Oh, what's happening, then?"  
"I don't know," she began to pace a little. "The Triforce's recollection stops when yours does. It's a separate stream of time now…"  
"With no Link in it," I said, mostly to annoy her, but also because it kinda bothered me. It was too weird. Everybody has an alternate time stream double but me and, I guess, Navi. "But what are you worried about? If Ganondorf goes back to the past, it will be that past, not ours."  
"But there's a hazy area in time…" she shook her head. "That strange period of time when Ganondorf should have already destroyed the castle, but you came out of the Sacred Realm first…The Triforce of Wisdom too is worried what might happen there, and what it would mean if…" She'd lost me, and frankly, I didn't want to catch up. It was indeed a weird moment in the rehistorization of history, to be sure. I was stuck back into my original time before I had opened the Door of Time. I had all of the sacred stones, but they were not in the keys, they were in my pocket. Hyrule Castle still stood, King Harkinian still lived, and Ganondorf and the Ocarina of Time had disappeared. Ganon and Ganondorf are in this time, sealed in the Evil Realm, and I'd guess they know how they got there, especially since the people Ganon possesses always refer to me as "Hero of Time." If you ask me, it's that whole seven years that are strange.  
Zelda was still talking about time rifts and such, and how the Triforce of Wisdom and she were worried over it. I looked at the back of my hand. It was glowing slightly. The Triforce of Courage never says anything to me, not even subliminally. Unless it was the Triforce just then that was telling me that if something were going to happen, it naturally would have happened by now.  
"I'd've been almost eleven when he must have shown up and there's no way I was strong enough to beat him," I told her.  
"What?" she looked at me, startled.  
"Zelda, it would've happened already," I smiled reassuringly. "Tell that Triforce piece to chill out. There are no worries in this corner." I waved the back of my hand at her.  
"That's because your and its job isn't to perceive danger, but to deal with it," she retorted. My stomach growled before I got a chance to say anything for myself. She began laughing behind her hand. "Are you impatient because you're hungry? I would have thought you wouldn't have put food over a serious situation."  
"Leave my stomach out of this," it was my turn to retort. "I just can't believe you're getting so worked up about something that not only is well out of your hands, but hardly even has a chance of even getting into your line of sight. Trust your doppelganger to know what she's doing and carry on with your actual problems." To my absolute surprise, she sat down in her seat and looked ashamedly at the floor. After a few minutes of dead silence, I was beginning to think I might have done something wrong. I stood and walked towards her, where she remained slumped in her chair.  
"Look…" I started. "I didn't mean to be harsh…I just… I…"  
"You have a point," she looked up at me, her expression yet again soft. "Just because I bear the Triforce now does not mean that its problems are my own. Thank you, Link."  
"I…ah, you're welcome," I scratched the back of my head. "Anytime."  
"I'll hold you to that," she smiled then stood, straightening her skirt. "Would you like to join me for lunch?"  
"Yes," I blinked and nodded.  
"Then follow me," she started walking towards Impa in that captivating pace of hers that seems to require no exertion whatsoever. But I wasn't quite ready to let myself be captivated. Here's the proof that I've grown up: I've come to recognize when someone is pulling the wool over my eyes.  
"Uh…wait a minute, Zelda," I cocked an eyebrow at her. She looked at me, her face practically expressionless. I continued. "Ah…you're just going to let something that was bothering you so much go like that? Just because I said something?" It may have just been me, but it seemed very unlike her…  
"It's only been baffling me for a while," she shook her head. "I'm not used to not being able to see the end of things, I suppose. But you're right, when for all I know the consequences I see could take place in a world that has nothing to do with me, why should I bother my head so much. I have more pressing issues to attend to." There it was: she admitted that there was something else. But as she did, she gave me one of those "in due time" looks. I kept my questions to myself.  
"Whatever you say, Princess," I replied, and walked over to my weapons.  
"You can leave those—"  
"I never leave a room without them," I cut her off again. The way she clenched her fists revealed that she was not used to being interrupted and was finding she wasn't fond of it. Ah, yes, Zelda. Growing up isn't easy, now is it? In the corner of my eye, I saw that Impa was indeed very much amused. I pulled the strap tight and turned to face the Princess. "There."  
"Very well," she spun on her heel. "Now, follow me."  
"Yes, your Highness."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
End of Chapter 3. Chapter 4 coming up shortly. In the meantime, you may amuse yourself by reviewing!  



End file.
